Diary of a bride to be

Meet Konnie Kara - wedding journalist by day; bride-to-be by night. With insider access to the latest bridal news, trends and planning advice she’s been called a wedding guru many times, but does she have what it takes to plan her own special day? Offering honest, frank and humorous insights, this is an account of one of the most exhilarating, and rollercoaster-emotion-filled years of her life

What to pack for the honeymoon

By Konnie Kara on 16 Mar 2011 No comments

I’ve not got long to go now before I officially move back in with Vinnie (I’ve just realised what a modern living set up we’ve all undertaken - me and Vinnie living together before marriage, then not living together really while planning the wedding and now finally back to living together again after the wedding once more!) and am packing all my non-wedding essentials into suitcases and boxes.

In between all that wonderful planning, I am also packing the all-important honeymoon suitcase. This has been a truly fun task. I just had two humungous parcels from Carlton come through DHL today - yes, my brand new honeymoon luggage set! I’ve been scouring the high street with a friend of mine who is getting married the week before me to look for honeymoon suitcases. She wanted something to carry all her honeymoon belongings in that had gliding roller wheels so she didn’t have to put her back out in the airport, and I wanted a lightweight trolley which had lots of compartments and which I could jam LOTS of pairs of shoes into! I luckily found my perfect luggage set – the romantic, and stylishly old-fashioned Ascot range from Carlton while scouring the web and so now Vinnie and I have matching his and hers trolleys for when we check into Business Class - how very soppy and typically honeymoon huh? Our suitcases are a delicious deep velvety brown with inside organisers (for photocopies of our passports, travel insurance and flight details) and that all import aqua pouch for my shampoos and beauty products.

It’s still a surprise where Vinnie is taking me, although I know it’s somewhere tropical and hot. The honeymoon, of course, is one of the best aspects of getting married and the wedding combined. It’s the most expensive single item in our wedding budget next to the reception of course.

Shopping for honeymoon lingerie and beach clothes has been a blast. It’s been my guilty pleasure late at night after I’ve finished my wedding preps for the day. Although I always thought I would blow the budget with my honeymoon wardrobe I’ve decided to be recession friendly, not stupid, with my purse strings and have bought a number of purchases online and my sister and mother have also loaned me some of their beach staples too. The overpriced Bulgari sunglasses, however, are a historic travelling companion of mine and a treasured gift from Vinnie when he had to go to Dubai for business some years back. They are, to date, the only pair of sunglasses I’ve not lost.

Of course, amidst all the wedding madness that has descended on my house, packing has been a mammoth task. I’d advise putting your suitcase in a small room in your house and throwing things into it as and when you remember and then doing the final ‘edit’ pack the night before.

Also to help me remember what exactly I should and shouldn’t be packing (like unnecessary shoes which might cost me an arm and leg if I go over baggage allowance), Maria Christodoulou from Carlton, who is an expert in what to pack and packing tips for the honeymoon gave me her ultimate, comprehensive top tips for stylish newly weds. Here they are below.

What to Pack for Your Honeymoon by Maria Christodoulou from Carlton Travel Goods LTD:

Books for the beach
Ipods
Sunglasses
Ear plugs for the flight
Dental care such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss
Deodorant
Perfume/aftershave
Hairbrushes, hairspray, styling products, shampoo, conditioner, grips, hair bands,
Hair accessories
Face moisturiser, cleanser, make up remover
Glasses, spare contact lenses, contact lens solution
Disposable shaver
Make up & tweezers
nail file, nail varnish and remover
Showergel (remember: most four and five star resorts provide this too)
Sun tan lotion and aftersun
Contraception
Mini first aid kit of painkillers, antiseptic cream, plasters, anti-histamines, travel sickness tablets, anti-diarrhoea tablets and prescription medicines
Insect repellent
Bikinis
Sarong
Flip flops
Heels
Honeymoon lingerie and negligee
Digital camera/charger/camcorder & charger
Mobile phone chargers
Adaptors
Evening wear and day wearWrap for evenings (and when visiting sites /tourist attractions where there are dress restrictions such as not allowing bare shoulders).